The Reluctant Omega

Dreaded Ex...

It was almost a week since the incident at Jaxon's bar, but Grey talked to or texted him basically every day. The fuzzy feeling was still there, but it came and went. Grey was slowly getting used to it and he was feeling more comfortable around Jaxon, too. So when he asked if Grey wanted to come over to his house for a BBQ the next weekend, he agreed without a second thought. Jaxon wanted to give his employees/friends a well-deserved night off. He texted Grey his address and let him know what time to come over.

The day of the BBQ, Grey headed over and coasted to a stop by the curb. Jaxon lived in a small, Craftsman style house. It was blue with a large front porch. He climbed out of his car and made his way up the sidewalk. Before he made it to the front door, it opened and Eli made his way out. He saw Grey and smiled, waving.
"Hey," he greeted, "was just going to get some ice...head on in, Jaxon's out back." Grey nodded and made his way inside. It looked like the interior was recently remodeled. The floors and trim were a deep, dark wood and the walls were painted a light gray. Maybe Jaxon's favorite color was gray after all. Grey heard voices filtering in from the open sliding door that led out to the backyard. He stepped out onto the small deck that overlooked the yard. It wasn't a huge backyard, but it was nicely taken care of. Grey noticed Ares rolling around in the grass, his tongue lolling out to one side. He perked up when he saw Grey and trotted over to him. Grey held out his hand so Ares could sniff him and when he was satisfied, Grey gently patted the top of his head. Ares' tail started happily wagging from side-to-side. Grey noticed Corey, Ryan, and Hanna were there, too. There was a brick fire pit off to one side where they were sitting. There was a young woman Grey didn't recognize sitting next to Corey and they were holding hands. Jaxon was by the grill, getting it ready to cook. He looked over and saw Grey, a big smile curling across his lips. Grey couldn't help but smile back. He walked over and they both stood there kind of awkwardly. Jaxon wanted to hug him, of course, but he still wasn't sure if Grey was OK with that. Grey's Omega was pushing him to embrace the Alpha and he was reaching out to him before he even realized it. It was just a quick, one-armed hug, but Jaxon was so happy.
"Hey," he said smiling, "glad you made it." They headed over to the rest of the group and Corey introduced the young woman, Mara. She was his girlfriend and they met at college. They made pleasant small talk for a bit and then Jaxon started grilling up some burgers and hot dogs. Grey found himself hovering at his side, helping out with what he could. He didn't consider himself shy. He was most definitely an introvert, but he was fine interacting with people if he needed to. He did it all the time at work. It wasn't that he didn't like Jaxon's friends. They were all great, Grey just liked being near him. Or maybe it was his Omega that liked it. Lately, Grey had been having trouble telling the difference between his Omega's instincts and his own feelings. He's never had to deal with these types of emotions before. After they were done eating, Jaxon lit a fire in the fire pit and he and Eli headed inside to get stuff for s'mores.
"So Grey," Mara asked, turning to him with a smile, "are you and Jaxon dating?"
"Mara." Corey chided her gently.
"What," she said, shrugging, "I'm just wondering...I'm sure I'm not the only one who didn't notice Grey is exactly his type and after what happened with Lex...," she was cut off when Corey gave her arm a gentle squeeze and shook his head. Lex, Grey thought, was he Jaxon's ex? Jaxon and Eli returned and they all sat around the fire, roasting marshmallows and talking. Corey, Mara, and Ryan left a couple hours later and Grey figured it was time for him to head home too. Jaxon walked him out to his car. Grey was feeling anxious...at least he thought he was. Should he ask about Jaxon's ex? Was that even something they should talk about? He was just so unsure.
"I'm glad you came." Jaxon said drawing him out of his racing thoughts.
"Me too," Grey said smiling slightly, "thanks for inviting me." Jaxon took a tentative step closer and took his hand.
"I'm probably going to be busy next weekend at the bar," he said softly, "but I would like to see you, if that's ok?" Grey nodded, looking up at him.
"I could come by." He heard himself reply before he even realized it. Jaxon smiled, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it.
"Drive safe," he said, "and text me when you get home." Grey nodded, climbing into his car. He drove home, his thoughts dwelling on the day. He liked Jaxon, but were his feeling being dictated by his Omega's instincts? If another Alpha had come to his rescue that night instead of Jaxon, would Grey still feel the same way about them? Maybe he should talk to Avery. It wasn't that he wasn't close to Shannon, but she never kept secrets from Parker. And if Grey asked her to meet him without Parker, he would be suspicious. It wasn't like Avery would lie to Declan, but he was a psychologist so he was more sensitive to a person's need for privacy. Grey just needed to know if what he was feeling was normal for other Omegas.